Time for another big post from me. the three headphones Ill be talking about are rather niche so I dont expect many to use this as buying advice. Audeze LCD2. Grado PS1000 and Grado HF2. Ive spent a couple weeks listening to all these and have some thoughts.
First, I ordered the Audeze LCD-2 as I heard so many great things about them on head-fi and wanted to see what all the fuss was about with orthodynamic drivers.
straight out of the box, these are some seriously uncomfortable headphones. they look wild and steampunky with the wood frame, leather pads and metal grills but the clamping force is extremely high. I had to gently bend the band out a bit to allow them to sit on my head without causing discomfort. And its not like I have a big head or anything.
What is immediately noticeable about these is the amazing bass. it goes deep forever and theres no distortion. you could EQ this thing to double bass volume and it wont break a sweat. its immense.
The cans also have incredible detail and quickness and excel at revealing every detail in fast, complex passages. but, of course, Ive head similar levels of detail and quickness from cheaper cans like the Grado RS2. not quite as good but sort of in the same league. that part wasnt mind-blowing for me.
My issue coming from the Grado RS2s was that the midrange and high end was less prominent. now, I know that Grado midrange is pushed forward a bit unnaturally but with the LCD2 and its prodigious bass, the mids and highs immediately felt less energetic compared to the Grados (this is a similar complaint I had with my old Denon D5000s but it was more pronounced with those than with the LCD2, as the LCD2 is more neutral than the D5000s).
I continued to listen to LCD2s for a while and did come to appreciate the balance of the sound. As an example, If I dont listen to a Grado for a few days, the LCD2 sound does seem very natural and clear and refined. But as soon as I would put on my old RS2s, there was a lot more energy and fun and toe tapping going on. I could not deny what my heart wanted. I wanted the Grado midrange but with better bass, better soundstage and even more detail and naturalness. I wanted a Grado PS1000.
So this realization led me to the head-fi sales forum hoping to find one for a decent price. the MSRP is a redonkulous 1700 USD. I did find one from a great seller for around 300 under MSRP including shipping. it was a damn good price so I jumped while I had the chance.
The PS1000s arrived last week and, Mother of God, they are everything I wanted. they are fun and incredibly detailed and with bass that damn near rivals the LCD2s. but, more importantly, the midrange does not feel constrained or overwhelmed by the bass as it does with the LCD2 (at least to my ears). its clear and upfront. not quite as exaggerated a presentation as the smaller Grados but just enough to get me smiling more when listening.
I have not heard anything close to this in a headphone before. it has incredible bass, a clear and vibrant midrange, insane detail and speed plus a respectable soundstage that places instruments properly in space without removing you from the music and making you feel far away and sitting in the nosebleeds. As a bonus, they are also super comfortable with pads that are soft and dont put too much pressure on the sides of the head. heaven
Safe to say that I hit the final stop in my headphone upgrade ride. I know that other headphones in this class can have better soundstage or, as evidenced by the LCD2, better bass but I would then sacrifice the sonic characteristics that the PS1000 does better than those cans. at this level, everything is a side grade dependant upon the tastes of the listener.
As a little detour, I also noticed a fellow Canadian selling a pair of Grado HF-2 limited edition cans on head-fi and, well, I bought those too in my spending spree as they are hard to come by (only around 600 made worldwide) and I knew it could be shipped cheaply and quickly.
Similar to the PS1000, they have a metal exterior cup and a wood housing for the driver. Also similar to the PS1000, they have incredible bass. shockingly good for such small headphones. But these have the more familiar Grado super-emphasized midrange and high end, whereas the PS1000 is more balanced. they also have zilch for soundstage and have more in common with the RS2s in detail retrieval than the PS1000 - its not quite as good.
I actually prefer the HF2 to the RS2 due to the bass. the RS2 emphasizes high end detail more than the HF2 but its not such a big enough difference to offset the chasm in bass quality that you get with the HF2.
If any of you have a chance to get an HF2 used, jump on it. they sell for 400 to 500 USD and are about as good as anything Ive heard. yes, I even prefer the HF2 to the LCD2 but thats mainly because Im kind of crazy. Technically, I know the LCD2 is better as it is more detailed, has better soundstage, bass and is more neutral. But the HF2 is so damn comfortable and light and fun that I would prefer to wear it than the LCD2 almost any day.
So whats the result of all this? Im going to find myself selling off a couple headphones on head-fi or craigslist over the next couple of weeks. theres room for one $1K+ headphone in my life but not two, yknow?
The HF2 is now part of a bedside rig powered by an iPad and a FiiO E9.
the Grado PS1000s are front and center in my living room/ desk powered by a Burson HA-160, fed by an HRT MS2 DAC. mmm mmm good.
Now its time for my wallet to recover (I gotta delay that gaming PC by a half year or so, lol) and enjoy some music.
